Nutrition Basics for Life and Training

By Marc Evans | For Active.com

In both training and racing you need about 40 to 50 grams of carbohydrates every hour to maintain function and provide a steady energy for performance. That includes what you eat and drink. So, be sure to balance what you eat with the nutrients you ingest in liquid form. It's all too easy to double the amount of sugar in your stomach, delay absorption, and slow yourself down.

4. Bonking, or "hitting the wall," is often temporary, as long as there are energy sources available.

Your muscles don't run out of glycogen for the most part, but your brain does because it needs carbohydrates to function properly. Recognize, then, that when you feel weak, light-headed or sluggish while training or racing, it generally means you're off track with your nutritional intake. Eating or drinking a carbohydrate source will restore your blood and liver glycogen stores, and within a short time your energy level can likely recover.

Replenishing protein regularly helps rebuild muscle tissue. You should have anywhere from 60 to 100 grams of protein each day. You may require more if you're injured, or less if you are a lighter weight athlete or when training volume and/or intensity are low. As an endurance athlete you need about 1.5 and 1.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight each day.

Here's how to figure out what amount you need:

Divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2, this is your weight in kilograms

Multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.5 or 1.8 (the lower amounts are for light athletes and diminished training times)

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About the Author

Marc Evans

Marc Evans was the first USA Triathlon head coach for the inaugural Olympic-Distance World Championships, and coach of two-time Ironman champion Scott Tinley. He has written three books on endurance training and is the patent holder for the bestselling SPEEDO Contour and Swim-Foil training paddles. Marc was presented the "Award of Excellence" from the American Medical Association for his pioneering work in triathlon.

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